COLLABORATING TO INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS

PRESENTER: Debbie Rathert, M.S.W.


          Human service needs following a disaster are great. A multitude of
          public and private organizations emerge to address those needs. Among these
          are organizations that address mental health needs of disaster survivors in 
          one way or another. If we're lucky, we work well together to meet the mental
          health needs of the citizens. All too often, however, it is at this time of
          increased personal stress that our organizations mirror that stress. Battles
          over role and responsibility emerge. The purpose of this session is to present
          an alternative approach to increase the effectiveness of the overall disaster
          mental health response. Collaboration can be very challenging to entities like
          the American Red Cross and the state mental health authority that typically
          respond independently of each other. We'll discuss the pitfalls, the benefits,
          the challenges of establishing a collaborative relationship.


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